Grand County High School art teacher Christa Green has been chosen as the 2020-21 Utah Art Education Association Utah Art High School Educator of the year, a recognition given to only one secondary art educator in the whole state of Utah each year!
Mrs. Green teaches numerous classes that include watercolor, jewelry, oil painting, ceramics, printmaking, multimedia, art and advertising and general art. Her ambitious class options allow her to offer a huge range to student artists and to help them become their best-creating selves.
Mrs. Green went to Snow Canyon High School in Santa Clara, Utah. She attended Dixie State University and Southern Utah University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education. She is married to Verle Green, a fifth-generation Moabite, and they have a daughter, Aspen, in kindergarten.
After teaching for over a decade, Mrs. Green pursued an ambitious Master of Fine Arts in media design. At the same time, she taught full time, sold her house in Moab, began building one in La Sal, raised her daughter with her husband, and achieved this competitive degree in two years. Mrs. Green is a dedicated person.
Before she started teaching at Grand County High School, she taught at Springdale Elementary School as their art specialist and also as the fourth and fifth grade teacher’s assistant.
She explains that as a teacher and artist, she believes that “good art comes from research and passion.”
Mrs. Green sells jewelry occasionally at Moab Made. She has entered art competitions and was even published in the book “The Century of Sanctuary: the Art of Zion National Park.” The World Wide River Expeditions warehouse in Moab also has a mural that was painted by Mrs. Green!
Students who have taken Mrs. Green’s art classes have only good things to say about her as a teacher, as a mentor, and as a person.
“Not only is Mrs. Green a fantastic teacher, but she has the best taste in music of any teacher I know,” said Elly Bauer, a senior who has taken Mrs. Green’s classes for four years.
Every one of her students knows that she is delightfully notorious for jamming out to The Cranberries and or The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Mrs. Green is easy to get along with and takes the time to work with each of us students one-on-one,” said Kyla Jackman, senior and GCHS 2021 Visual Arts Sterling Scholar. “She has shown me new techniques and pushed me to experiment with a variety of mediums which has helped me to grow as an artist.”
From teaching demos for an entire class to teaching how to mix paint one-on-one, she helps her students learn and perfect the many mediums she teaches.
“My experience with her has been amazing,” said Kendyll Cox, a senior at GCHS. “I love how she really tries to connect with her students and wants to help them become better artists. She gives great advice and makes sure to help you in any way possible if you decide to pursue art after high school.”
Dr. Mary Marable, principal at GCHS, offers a perspective on Christa from an administrative view.
“Mrs. Green welcomes all students to interact with clay, jewelry, pottery and express their uniqueness through manipulation and hands-on activities and projects,” said Dr. Marable. “With these types of opportunities, many students can ‘just create’ anything they desire. This has been especially precious during our time of dealing with COVID and some stressors students have had to deal with. Our school is lucky to have such an educator along with her peers; she makes Grand County High School a unique opportunity for students to grow individually.”
Mrs. Green creates a welcoming and fun environment. When you have a class full of dedicated artists painting in a room together while watching a documentary about Van Gogh, it really feels like a home.
Personally, Mrs. Green has been someone I’ve looked up to for four years now. She is the reason I sell my art now. She’s the one who pushed me to be the best artist I can be. Not only does she treat me like a friend, but she also goes out of her way to make sure I have what I need to be successful. Congrats, Mrs. Green!
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